Josephine’s Black Box

By Nastalgia A. Jenkins

While her husband is off in the war, mother of four, Josephine worked at the Billers-Ville Elementary School for Negros, teaching history by day and scrubbing floors for white folks by night. All told, she managed to handle the ups and downs. Embarking the journey through life and love Josephine endures the life lessons she is faced while raising her children in the south. Despite the pain that is left on her heart she is to cope with that struggle on her own while fighting segregation. She finds her strength through her children and faith. Until one day that faith is tested when her eldest son Billy Ray goes missing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796042542

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Copyright © 2019 by Nastalgia A. Jenkins.

ISBN:                Softcover                    978-1-7960-4255-9

                         eBook                         978-1-7960-4254-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.3This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 06/25/2019

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1 R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Chapter 2 What Black History Means to Me

Chapter 3 Ol’ Troubled Boy

Chapter 4 Never Did Nothing to Nobody

Chapter 5 I Don’t Mind Waiting

Chapter 6 The Black Box

Chapter 7 The Speech

Chapter 8 If All for Nothing or Nothing at All

Historical Note

Chapter One

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Bye, Mama,

Now how many times must I tell you, Billy Ray, not bye, see you later, and you come straight home, you hear?

Yes, ma’am.

Humming the old church songs big mama used to sing right before she headed to church or work, Josephine walked back in the house and started clearing dishes from the breakfast she had cooked earlier that day. Then, taking out the iron, she began on the old dress and apron slip she had been wearing for years. Getting through the day wasn’t easy for Josephine. Husband off in the war, mother of four, she worked at the Billers-Ville Elementary School for Negros, teaching history by day and scrubbing floors for white folks by night. All told, she managed to handle the ups and downs.

Lord knows I’m tired of working for these white folks, she mumbled, wrapping the apron strings around her thick waist. But, then, she reminded herself, she really didn’t have a choice. Josephine was born in the South. She had moved there from Birmingham when she was just twelve. She loved Oklahoma now, but wondered what the city would be like if there wasn’t so much hatred going on.

Staring out the window, she caught sight of Willie Theodore, Jr., a young boy who lived next door. She immediately thought back to that summer of 1922 awhennother African American boy had been lynched. What was in store for Willie? He loved to read. That’s all Josephine had ever seen him do.

Hey, what are you reading, she called out. Willie Theodore didn’t answer. He didn’t even move a finger.

"Hi,